I watched with eyes of deep admiration as I stood and watched the other Sage's training. The sound of swords and the booms of Angelic Summons filled the hall.

I took a small reprieve as I had just finished a sparing match with an senior Sage. To make a long story short I got my ass whooped, but I at least put up a good fight and lasted longer than most trainees. Sunlight was filtered through the large dome window resting at the top of the training hall.

My time for sunbathing was over as I had to dodge a incoming Lumen Sage flying backwards from the full brunt of a Virtuous Punch. The Sage collided with the iron bars of the gates.

That must've hurt.

"Attention everyone", a low familiar voice echoed. I turned my attention to the entrance of the Training Grounds to see the Lumen Elder, Father Rosario with his platinum blonde hair slicked back and his bishop cap on that went well with his cream and gold colored robes. Supporting his movement was a walking stick with the crest of the sun at the top of the staff.

"If you all would please proceed to the outer Training Grounds for further training. The time has come for the next level of your training, angel summoning."

A ripple of cheers surged through the gathered Lumen's as they paraded out of the Training Hall, with me a few steps behind them. "Ah Lady Serah, surprised to see you here", Father Rosario spoke.

I chuckled at his words.

"Thought I'd get some practice in, the younger trainees are getting better. But are you sure they're ready for angel summoning? Some of them are as green as grass and don't understand how to control their Spirit Energy. One wrong move in the summoning and the angel will-"

"I understand your concern Serah, but the life of a Sage or Witch is not without sacrifice and risks. Just as we must pray and care for our angels, so must the Witches serve their demons. Now come along it's time you join your classmates."

Once me and Father Rosario left the Training Hall to the outer Training Grounds the other Sage's were already lined up awaiting instructions.

I took my place at the back and joined the other Sage's ranks as Father Rosario went to the front to begin teaching the class.

"Now I'm sure all of you know that to help maintain the balance, and to protect the Right Eye of Light we must contract ourselves with the angels of Paradiso, the benevolent beasts of Heaven that represent the Divine Will."

"Now let it be known that summoning angels is not without hard work. You must train and steel your mind you must have complete focus of the angels you bring forth, or else the angels just might turn and devour you."

I took notice of some Sage's stiffening at the Elder's words whilst the much older Sage's already knew this. They-we have been preparing and training for this for years. Some since birth and some as they were indoctrinated into the Clan. Either way, this is the most important aspect of a Sage. The ability to commune and conjure the angels.

"Lady Serah", the Lumen Elder called out, grasping my attention.

"Will you please come forward to help me demonstrate?" I nodded as I trudged forward without a word as I stood beside the Lumen Elder.

"Serah is a powerful Lumen Sage that has been Training with us for several years, and in a few years time she will take her Holy Vows and become a full fledged Lumen Sage."

I felt light blush creep across my face as I heard of my accomplishments and my life being told before others.

"Lady Serah, will you kindly demonstrate the skilled focus and ability required to bring forth an Auditio into our plane of existence?"

"Of course Father Rosario" I spoke as I drew a shimmering swan feather, the form my Spirit Energy takes that I offer to the angels that I summon.

Just as the demons of Inferno demands the blood of angels and the Umbra Witches Spirit Energy is sacrificed, so must we Lumen Sage's offer up our Spiritual Power to the angels as the angels prey for the death and blood of the demons.

Releasing the swan feather in the air I called on one of my personal favorite angels.

"ZIRACAH!"

Throwing the swan feather into the air a vortex of swirling golden light appeared in the sky as the large draconic angel Fortitudo floated in the sky.

The large angel let out a fierce roar as my class men gave me claps of approval. I couldn't help but grin as Fortitudo slowly receded back into Paradiso.

"That was the Cardinal Virtue of Fortitude, and the Bringer of Flames. Fortitudo. Now for some of the lower class men summoning such high ranking angels might be a little to advanced so for now stick to the lower ranking Sphere's. As for my advanced portion of the class I would like for you all to first commune with your angels before you bring them forth, the last thing we need is a brother or sister Sage joining Paradiso's ranks too soon."

And with those final words the Sage trainees broke off and began to work on their summoning. I on the other hand looked down at my Lumen Watch, golden in color with Pure Platinum gem jewels embedded. Lumen Watches were what Sage's used to keep them youthful against the passage of time and it's the source of our life force as it was in other words our souls. Hence why we can take so many hits that would kill normal humans and still live, albeit with some exceptions.

I stared at the Watch's surface as it ticked away, time seemed to move slower every time you stare at it.

"...we're not supposed to summon Auditio's yet Sam. Your gonna get us in trouble!"

I was snapped out of my thoughts as I turned to see two Lumen Sage trainees, one of them had a smug grin on their face whilst the other looked frightened.

"Oh relax Jim we'll be fine. I studied the incantation in and out, besides think. If we do this summon correctly and summon a Cardinal Virtue then the Lumen Elder will see how skilled we are and put us in a advanced class so we'll be that much closer to taking our Holy Vows and become Sage's. Now help me with this."

Well that sounds utterly stupid. Don't they know that if they don't handle the Spirit Energy carefully then the portal could backfire and end up summoning a demon instead?

I better stop this before they make a terrible mistake.

But I arrived to late.

The last thing I remember was them uttering the incantation wrong, a powerful glow, and then screaming.

The force of the spell gone wrong had blown me backwards, my body colliding hard with the stone wall. Pain flared through my body and most of my limbs felt weak and limp, but somehow I managed to raise my head to see what monstrosity had those two idiot Sage's conjured.

My eyes widened as a fierce roar pierced the air as the Cardinal Virtue fully formed in our world. It was not hard to recognize which of the Auditio had been summoned. With the angel's lizard like body, and it's armor making it look like a deep aquatic creature.

It was Sapientia. The Cardinal Virtue of Prudence, the Controller of the Seas.

I looked around to see most of the other Lumen Sage's were still weakened and fearful from the spell's blast. I spared a quick glance to see that Father Rosario was propped up against a large boulder, blood running down the side of his face.

Shit! Looks like I have to be the one to fix this mess.

Sapientia looked down at the two Sage's that has summoned him and grasped both of them within it's claws.

They pleaded with Sapientia to release them but the angel was too far gone in rage to understand them. As it's large mechanical jaw opened to devour the two Trainees I quickly conjured Seraphs Judgement into my hands and fired a couple of Charge Shots at the massive angel.

The magical bullets exploded in Sapientia's face, the Cardinal Virtue hissing with pain as it dropped the Lumen Sage's.

"This is your chance, leave!" I roared at them. I didn't have to tell them twice as they soon disappeared from the scene. I have to finish this angel off quickly and I need to be careful. Any wrong move would have us falling off the cliff and down into the misty forest thousands of feet below.

"Tell me Sage, so you think you can beat me!? You are no more than an insignificant worm!"

I ignored his words and aimed my guns at him.

"Let's see if your just talk", I taunted causing the Virtue to fire a stream of heat-seeking missiles. I dodged the flurry of rockets at the last second and used my power to deflect them all back at Sapientia.

The Auditio roared in fury as it lunged for me almost at the speed of light. My eyes widened as I backflipped into the air, narrowly missing the large gaping jaws of the lizard like angel.

Hovering in the air I activated my Lumen Grace, a familiar golden aura coating my body.

I summoned a sword made out of pure light and began to hack and slash at Sapientia's face.

Large open wounds began to form as angelic blood began to decorate the floors. The Cardinal Virtue roared in agony before blasting me backwards with a beam of light. It didn't hurt per say, but I did feel the sting.

Sapientia used this time to swipe at me with his dangerously long claws. But thankfully I was able to grab his wrist using the hands of Temperantia, the Cardinal Virtue of Temperance, the Manipulator of Wind.

Summoning the other hand of Temperantia I sucker punched Sapientia in the face, the sound of his jaw dislocating with a loud crack echoed across the Sunrise Valley.

Sapientia groaned in pain as he landed in a pool of his own blood, temporarily disabled. Seizing the opportunity I snapped my fingers and conjured magic binding ribbons, gold in color they wrapped around Sapientia and tied up his body, the ribbons held and bound by powerful light magic.

Taking out Seraphs Judgement the musket rifle began to glow with a divine and brilliant light before it grew to the size of a large cannon.

I smiled as I knew victory was within my grasp.

Aiming the large oversized cannon I prepared to fire.

"Tirò Finale!"

Pulling the trigger the loud boom of the cannon could be heard as a powerful blast of light shot or of the barrel and blasted Sapientia square in the face.

The large cannon form of Seraphs Judgement shrank down to it's original size as I gazed at the wreckage that Sapientia had wrought.

I then looked to see that everyone was okay, the other Sage Trainees looking at me with either fear, respect, admiration, or all three.

Either way I had just defeated a Cardinal Virtue, the Controller of the Seas no less.

I let out an exhausted sigh as I fell to the floor like a crumbled heap, the drain of my casting all that magic finally taking a toll on my body.

A/N: Please don't forget to share, Review, and comment.